1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to pet collars having electronic devices associated therewith.
2. Description of the Related Art
Collars for pets, particularly dogs and cats, commonly are of at least two types. A first type includes some type of electronic device useful in transferring a radio frequency signal from a remote transmitter to the pet in the form of a mild electrical shock. Such devices are useful in training pets and in electronic containment systems wherein a pet's physical roaming territory is defined by a buried conductor, remote transmitter or the like, carrying a signal which is transmitted to a pet upon the pet approaching the boundary of a containment area established by a transmitted signal. It is imperative for proper operation of the electronic device carried by the pet that it be positioned precisely on, and in good electrical communication with, the pet, usually on the pet's neck, for the effective receipt of a signal from a remote location, and proper transfer of the received signal to the pet in the form of a mild electronic shock. Effective receipt of a signal (shock) by the pet is commonly accomplished through the use of two electrodes which project from the receiver housing and which need to be in good continuous engagement with the outer skin of the pet.
Heretofore, the electronic device includes a receiver housing attached to the collar by conventional fastener hardware, i.e., screws, nuts and bolts, and the like. These fasteners tend to loosen over time, causing the electronic device to lose its desired position on the pet, or for the electronic device to completely fall away from the collar. Moreover, the use of mechanical fasteners commonly requires large size receiver housings, even though such large size is not needed for containing the electronics employed, thereby contributing to the problem of retention of the receiver housing in proper position on the pet, and the overall cost of the receiver.
In a second type of pet collar, there is provided some type of housing mounted on a collar designed to encircle the neck of the pet. The housing or some like member serves, among other things, as the mounting location for a dispenser of a fluid or gas which is obnoxious to the pet. The fluid most commonly is sprayed from a reservoir in the housing onto or in near proximity to some selected anatomical feature of the pet, such as the nose of the pet. In this type housing/collar combination, it is important that the orientation of the housing on the collar, hence the orientation of the dispenser member, to the selected anatomical feature of the pet, be initially established and thereafter maintained constant at all times so that the dispensed material will reach the desired anatomical feature of the pet. Thus, in this type housing/collar device, rigidity of the fixation of the housing to the collar as well as rigidity of fixation of the housing to the pet via the collar, is of importance in ensuring the desired directional delivery of the dispensed material. In this type device, selected times and time periods of dispensing of the material toward the pet are commonly controlled by radio frequency signals directed to electronics within the housing from a remote location, or electronics held within the housing which are sensitive to an external activating action, such as the barking of a dog, or the like.